LAKEWOOD, Ohio — It's been seven years since the Lakewood Hospital closed, and many have been asking, what will finally be built there and when? The city said it hasn't stopped conversations regarding construction and is now considering temporary projects.
It was once the Lakewood hospital, where Leslie Staufer was born and also where she had her daughter.
“It was close now the closest hospital is Fairview,” Staufer said.
But for years, it's been an empty field or as the owner of the Tea Lab across the street calls it, “An empty pit.”
“So I mean, when I bought the business, the hospital was here. The next year they tore it down,” said Carlos Ramos, the owner of the Tea Lab.
Ramos has had his shop for 10 years near the corner of Detroit Avenue and Belle, where he's patiently waited for the city to do something with the former hospital space.
“I like the idea they are talking about I like the idea of a mixed-use kind of space,” Ramos said.
But, years later, still nothing, Tom Bullock with Lakewood City Council agrees the project has taken far too long. He said it’s due to inflation, labor, material costs and market uncertainty. He added that the biggest battle is finding what structure would make sense and thrive in the area.
“We don't want to build something that won't support itself financially, and then you're worse, with something that misses the market,” Bullock said.
Bullock said conversations are being had although work onsite isn't being seen.
“The last four years we've been pursuing a good development plan for one Ohio company that does good work,” said Council member Bullock.
Yet, still nothing has been set in stone, So now City Council is considering temporary options to upgrade the plot of land that many are tired of seeing.
“Some of us put on the council agenda, this beautification proposal that we'd at least wrap the fence put up signage, say partner dust, here's someone's coming in or if we can't say that today, we could put some public art. We could put up some plantings,” said Council member Bullock.
For Ramos, he just wants to see some type of progress, to better the neighborhood that he loves so much.
“We'd like to see a little bit more action, at least put the banners up and show pictures of what the project is going to look like and then that way people get an idea,” said Ramos.
